Greatest comeback ever?

[outofplace]

This was a heck of a comeback, but not on the level with the Bills against the Oilers. Somebody brought up how far Indy was down to Pittsburgh last year, but I'm not sure what the heck that has to do with this since the Colts never made it all the way back (thank you idiot kicker), though I believe that game was also 21-3 at some point.

I was just talking about how you know a good game when you see one, no analysis needed to determine it. As far as comebacks go, that's how I feel about the Oilers-Bills. No analysis needed for me to know that's the best I've seen.

Oz, wasn't your comment I was talking about. It was somebody else. I'm just too lazy to look it up.

 

[Columbo]

No. For single game purposes, Games 4 and 5 of the 2001 World Series were better. For series purposes, obviously the pinnacle was the Mariners coming back against the Yankees in 1995.

This seems like an appropriate spot to mention this; If the Colts win the Super Bowl, was yesterday's game the NFL equivalent of the Red Sox' comeback against the Yankees in 2004? The Sox and Colts both had a stigma over their heads of not being able to come through when it matters and they were going against their chief rival, who had an "aura" or "mystique" that if the game was close, they would do the little things to win.

Both dug themselves deep holes and climbed out of it in historic fashion.

For the Colts, it's only been 36 years instead of 86, but they've never won a Super Bowl in Indianapolis and the NFL hasn't been around nearly as long as MLB.

I'd say the biggest difference would be that people in the northeast generally don't care nearly as much about the Patriots as they do the Red Sox.

Coming back from down 3-0 in baseball is much more of a rarity than coming back from an 18-point first-half deficit in football.

 

[Boobie Miles]

I can't speak for bigpern, but for me it's the general similarities, not the specifics. Both the Colts and the Sox had been in long championship droughts. Every year they made the playoffs and found a way to come up short, typically against their one main rival. In the series/game they finally triumphed things were looking incredibly bleak and they rallied to finally get past their rival in an unexpected and dramatic fashion.

They definitely aren't mirror images, obviously a lot more history to the Sox rivalry and their odds were far worse, but generally speaking there are definitely some parallels, especially if they have a cakewalk in the SB like the Sox did in the Series.

 

[bigpern23]

I can't speak for bigpern, but for me it's the general similarities, not the specifics. Both the Colts and the Sox had been in long championship droughts. Every year they made the playoffs and found a way to come up short, typically against their one main rival. In the series/game they finally triumphed things were looking incredibly bleak and they rallied to finally get past their rival in an unexpected and dramatic fashion.

They definitely aren't mirror images, obviously a lot more history to the Sox rivalry and their odds were far worse, but generally speaking there are definitely some parallels, especially if they have a cakewalk in the SB like the Sox did in the Series.

Couldn't have said it better myself. And add in the fact that no team had ever come back from 8 points down in a championship game, nevermind 18, and it's not as common as you guys make it sound.

True, it's happened in other rounds, but those rounds involve typically inferior teams. The top four teams remaining had never let it happen before. It's still quite a feat (though, clearly, the Bills was the best comeback in playoff history).

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

No, it's not the greatest comeback ever.

The Oilers played as close to perfect a half of football as a team on the road can in that game. It's not the 32-point differential, it's how conclusive the verdict seemed to be in the third quarter.

It should go without saying, but it's worth noting that the Bills didn't have the option of a two-point conversion on Jan. 3, 1993. Unlike the Colts and the 49ers, who made a ridiculous comeback in the playoffs four years ago.

 

[Blitz]

The Bills/Oilers was much bigger.
While I acknowledge that the Colts were on life support there for a period, this shouldn't be overblown.
Once they got a stop, and Peyton registered a TD, the game was back close enough to where it was anyone's ballgame.
21-3 aint so bad
21-6 is even more manageable.
Let's not overblow this.
Joe Montana's Cotton Bowl comeback over UofHouston, now that's a comeback
This was just 18 points, in the first half. Not as big of a deal as one might think.